Padres starter makes it just in time

It was high noon on the day of the Padres' last exhibition game before Opening Day on Thursday, a 2:05 p.m. affair. The Padres' starting pitcher, Matt Palmer, was still nowhere near the ballpark.

"Palmer landed in Ontario at 11:30, so he might not be starting," said Padres manager Bud Black. "If he gets here, he'll pitch at some point."

Clearly not one to miss such an opportunity, Palmer arrived in the nick of time from his trip from Arizona to start against the Kansas City Royals. Otherwise, the Padres are going with what's very close to their Opening Day lineup against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Starting against the Royals are